Tag: Reviews

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Book Review: As It Seems by Eric Lewis

As it Seems by Eric Lewis is a collection of short stories by a single author. The collection comprises mostly grimdark/fantasy, and a few stories that probably fit better into sci-fi.

The Cover: There seems to be a couple of covers for this book, I have the one with a robed figure striding forwards, face hidden beneath a hood, sword rested on his right shoulder and an axe hanging from his left hand. Both the image and the font are presented well and fit with the genre.

The Good Stuff: I liked the writing style, the world building, and the tone. I enjoyed that most of the stories were set in the same world; a dark, gritty, grim world. I quite like a bit of grimdark and this didn’t disappoint. The author certainly doesn’t buy into happy endings. One of the most notable things for me is that when it comes to anthologies, I’m usually only taken by a few stories. But, I also enjoyed every story in this book, and that is a big achievement by the author in my opinion.

The Bad Stuff: Okay, so this title is not without its faults. There are a few more typo’s than I would normally see in a book of this length. There are also some things that didn’t really gel for me. Things like a slave ship allowed to dock in a place where slavery is illegal, plumbers in a fantasy world, and modern terms like apartment, startup, and coffee break, that for me just don’t seem to fit with the world the author has created. This encroached on my enjoyment and held me back from fully immersing myself in some of the stories.

Overall, I can easily forgive the few typos and words/terms that I felt were out of place, simply because I really enjoyed this book. If you’re into slightly darker short stories by a single author, you should give this one a go. This one gets a back-stabbing, alchemical blasting, 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Tales of Magic & Destiny by various authors

Tales of Magic & Destiny is an anthology containing 12 short fantasy stories.

The Cover: I do like this cover, it depicts an ominous dragon confronting a mage in the midst of casting a spell. The image is strong and tells the reader to expect fantasy between the pages, I just wish the title font was as strong as the image. The font lets the cover down in my opinion, and it is a shame because the artwork is so good.

The Good Stuff: There are 12 stories to wrap your mind around, and none of the 12 stories were bad. I read through most without skimming, and found the majority of them held my attention. They are all fantasy stories as the cover promises and the writing is competent.

The Bad Stuff: There are quite a few typos in some of these stories. It is easy enough to read through and work out what the sentences should say, but it does pull you out of the reading experience each time you hit one. While the stories weren’t bad and held my attention, I was disappointed with the endings of some and found others a little average. There were probably 2 stories I enjoyed more than the others, but none of them really grabbed me and pulled me in.

Overall, this book was okay. None of the stories really stood out to me, but if you have an hour or 2 to burn it will pass the time. The writing wasn’t bad, but in my opinion, the stories weren’t great either. This one gets an average 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Legends by Various Authors

Legends 1 (Legends 1, Volume 1of2)

Legends by Various Authors is an anthology containing 5 novellas by well-known authors, set in the worlds they are famous for creating.

The Cover: I like this cover, it represents one of the stories in the book written by Terry Pratchett and captures the humour perfectly. The cover does tell me I’m going to get fantasy inside, but it also says this book is for a younger audience and I don’t think it hits the mark here. Terry Pratchett’s story certainly is, but not all of them are in my opinion. The font works for the genre and there are big hitting names on the cover that are known for their fantasy.

The Good Stuff: For fans of the authors whose work is contained within the pages, this title will take you back into the worlds you love with a story you may not have read. There should be at least one story in here for every fantasy buff to enjoy. Personally, I really enjoyed the story by George R.R. Martin. Overall it is well edited and has some interesting characters. As I said before the authors are all well-known and are as follows:

Terry Pratchett

Anne McCaffrey

George R.R. Martin

Tad Williams

Robert Jordan

The Bad Stuff: I don’t know if it is just the author’s style or if the story by Robert Jordan was not edited that well. It’s as if words were missing here and there, but again, it could just be the style of writing. I was disappointed with two of the stories and ended up skipping to the next author. Out of the other three stories, I only really enjoyed one. I really wanted to enjoy Robert Jordan’s story, the world building was great, holding my interest until the end. I liked the characters too, but the story and the writing style didn’t grip me and have me excited to keep turning the pages.

Overall, this book was a bit of a let-down for me. I wanted so much to enjoy every story, but it just wasn’t to be, the writing wasn’t bad, the stories just didn’t draw me in. I’m only giving this one an average 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Rogue Ragtime by K.Alexis

Rogue Ragtime

Rogue Ragtime by K.Alexis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the interests of being transparent, I’d like to note that I know the author personally. To the best of my intention, my review of his work has not been influenced by this and is based on my honest opinion.

Rogue Ragtime by K. Alexis follows a small band of thieves, cursed to steal unimportant items, while trying to complete a collection of a set of novels in a world where books are banned.

The Cover: I really like this cover, it is colourful and has a kind of comic book/Manga feel to it. The image fits well with the story for me and it has a good title font with colours that stand out well against the background.

The Good Stuff: I love the fight scenes within this story, they are done well, there are some formidable foes, and they move smoothly through the action. In fact, as a whole, the story moves smoothly and is well written. The author shows a strong voice throughout this novel and has created a diverse and multi-cultured world with some great characters – Characters with their own distinctive personalities and abilities.

The Bad Stuff: There are some info dumps on the character descriptions which I feel could have been fed into the story more subtly. There is also an ‘instant message conversation’ snippet at the beginning of each chapter. While it is a nice quirky idea, I found it distracting and it didn’t really add anything to the story for me. I also got a little confused with everything that was going on in the story at times. There is also a lot of opinion within the text, which while I do not disagree with it, it is not subtle and I found it quite imposing at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the fight scenes, but the story is a bit “out there” and not something I would normally read. Having said that, I would love to watch this as a movie, I think I would thoroughly enjoy it. I’m giving this a mind boggling 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks with the added comment that I do not feel I am the target audience for this book.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke

Blood of Heirs (The Coraidic Sagas #1)Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke is a debut fantasy novel that follows the separate paths of two protagonists in a dark and perilous world. For the purpose of full disclosure, Alicia is a part of my writers group. Due to circumstance however, I have only met her twice and this is the first time I have had the pleasure of reading her work.

The Cover: This is a good cover for the genre. The image shouts fantasy, the colour hints at the underlying tone of the book, and the font is well contrasted and clear.

The Good Stuff: This is a solid debut fantasy novel. The world is clearly defined and well-built with some nice touches that distinguish between the different cultures within the world. There are some formidable enemies, and as with any good fantasy there is a sound magic system. The characters are individual, well developed, and have their own distinct stories. The prose runs smoothly and I found there are some great quote-worthy passages within the pages. One I particularly liked was “His plan had to work. If it didn’t, he’d have the blood of thousands on his hands; such a stain would never wash clean.”

The Bad Stuff: This is nit-picking, but there are a couple of minor inconsistencies that drew me out of the story. In chapter five they’ve been waiting for the snow, but it hasn’t come. Then we move to chapter seven and Ran’s mother queries if the snows have come early? There is also a mention in one sentence that Lidan has been studying her parents, but then a little further on we hear that she has been avoiding them. This had me thinking how she could study them if she was avoiding them? I also question a couple of the words choices, such as sofa – this seems too modern for the setting to me.

Overall, having not read any of Alicia’s work prior to this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this story or not, but after chapter four I was hooked. The minor issues noted above did little to detract from my enjoyment of this book. It is a great fantasy novel, and while Lidan has a solid storyline, I really found myself drawn into Ran’s story. I’m giving this one a magic pulsing, steel slashing 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks with a deep guttural growl for good measure.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Emotional Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi.

Emotion AmplifiersEmotion Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This title is really a reference book for authors to assist them with their writing. It is a companion to The Emotional Thesaurus which I have not read at this time, but based on this companion, I am interested in getting myself a copy.

The Cover: This is a strong non-fiction cover. The colours and fonts work well and the image fits as a writers companion guide.

The Good Stuff: This book is a great idea and could be very useful to a writer who wants to develop their characters and/or their story in the spectrum of the emotional amplifiers explored. If it just had more reference material on a broader range of emotions, it would be a worthy addition to any writer’s toolbox. My guess is that the content I would like to see in this companion book has already been captured in the authors other work, The Emotional Thesaurus. I hope to find out soon enough.

The Bad Stuff: I know this is only a companion, but the book is very short and there are only about 14 pages of narrative to guide the reader on the use of the contents. The remainder of the book is reference material and I feel the book could have been fleshed out with both more narrative from the author and more reference material.

In my opinion, this book will be a good guide to assist with writing, if only it had more content it could have been an amazing reference tool. I’m giving it 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Writing Active Setting – Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham.

Writing Active Setting: Characterization and Sensory Detail (Writing Active Setting #1)Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has been written to help writers improve their skills, focusing on… you guessed it, characterization and sensory detail.

The Cover: I like this cover. The colours work well together and it has a text book type feel to me which suits the non-fiction title. The image ties in with the title, but I don’t feel it fits the subtitle very well. On the whole it is a good cover for the genre, but I feel there is some room for improvement.

The Good Stuff: I picked up a couple of things from this book which have made it a worthwhile read to me. How much each individual gains will depend on their skill level and experience as a writer. If you are a new writer, this book will give you some good advice.

The Bad Stuff: I found there were a lot of examples in the book, and some I did not find to be great examples of what the author was trying to convey. I think the book would have read better with fewer examples. I do understand however, that different people relate to different things, and therefore multiple examples may help them to better pick up and understand the techniques being used.

Overall, for me, this is not a bad book, but the benefits will be relative to the reader’s experience. This could be said for a lot of non-fiction titles and therefore the value will be dependent on the reader in these instances. For me, I’m giving it 3 out of 5 Golden book marks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Are you searching for authors like Joe Abercrombie? Why not check out this list.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hello Readers,

I know I harp on about Joe Abercrombie (JA) being my favourite author, and that’s because he is, but I have been trying to find some new favourite authors to add to the list. So I put a call out through some of my groups on social media to find similar authors to JA, and this is what my contacts came back with:-

  1. Anthony Ryan
  2. Luke Scull
  3. Daniel Polansky
  4. Mark Lawrence
  5. Scott Lynch
  6. Brian McClellan
  7. Richard Kadrey
  8. Charlie Huston
  9. Peter Newman
  10. Ed McDonald
  11. Steven Erikson
  12. Jonathon French
  13. Brian Staveley
  14. Michael R Fletcher
  15. Richard Morgan
  16. Anna Smith Spark
  17. Stephen Donaldson
  18. A Z Anthony
  19. Glen Cook
  20. Jay Kristoff

I haven’t read all these authors yet, but I have added them to my list of authors to try. Of those I have checked out, I offer my opinions below:

Anthony Ryan – I love this author and have added him to my favourites. I read his novel Blood Song, and while I don’t get a JA vibe from his work, I really enjoyed the book. Anthony has his own style and tells a great story. I highly recommend checking him out.

Luke Scull – This is another great author that I have added to my list of favourites. I read his Grim Company novel and I found his world and characters to be very similar to JA. In fact I constantly found myself thinking this guy is so like 9 fingers, or I love these Northmen. Luke does have a style of his own and tells a unique story that is interesting and pulled me through the book. I highly recommend giving him a go.

Daniel Polansky – I read the novel She Who Waits by this author. I can’t say that I see any resemblance to JA other than the world is really gritty. I didn’t love this author, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, but I doubt I will read anymore of his work. The world was not quite what I expected or wanted and it threw me off a little right from the start. If you like Grimdark that isn’t your typical medieval world, don’t discount this author. His style is sound, his characters are well rounded, and his writing is solid, his world just wasn’t what I was looking for and I don’t particularly like 1st person POV. If however you are chasing an author similar to JA, I’d give this one a miss.

Brian McClellan – I read Wrath of Empire from this author, and I loved it so much that I have also added Brian to my list of favourite authors. I didn’t draw any similarities between his work and JA’s. Brian has his own style, a great world, great characters, and a good storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed his work and would definitely recommend him, just don’t expect his work to remind you of JA.

Richard Kadrey – I didn’t actually read this authors work, I picked up one of his books and read the first few pages. It didn’t grab me because it seemed to be more of a western world and I was after good old medieval fantasy. So, I can’t really make any comparisons to JA for this author, nor recommend/criticise his work.

Peter Newman – I tried to read The Vagrant by this author and it’s the one book on my DNF list. I didn’t like the authors style or the world the story was set in. I certainly wouldn’t compare this author to JA. I do not recommend reading this authors work if you’re looking for something similar to JA. I’m not saying don’t give him a try, I’m just saying this author isn’t for me and I can’t see any similarity to JA’s work. I do know people who have read and enjoyed this author, so make your own mind up on this one.

Well, I’m still working through the list myself and this is as far as I’ve gotten. I’m keen to give Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch, Steve Erikson, Brian Staveley and Ed McDonald a go. So I’ll probably prioritise these above the others, but hopefully I will find a few more gems on this list that will be added to my favourite authors list.

Happy Reading!

This post was updated Sept 29, 2024. Check out the updated version here. 

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Book Review: Art & Craft of Writing – Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon.

Art & Craft of Writing Fiction: Secret Advice for WritersArt & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you can guess from the title, Art & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon is a non-fiction title providing insights into the craft of writing.

The Cover: This cover has a warm feel to it and it works for the non-fiction genre. I’m not a huge fan of the font used, but the black band with white writing makes the text clearly visible.

The Good Stuff: I have been writing for some time now and I’m always looking for new information. There were one or two nuggets in this book for me, but mainly it was that Victoria looks at things from a slightly different angle and explains them in a slightly different way. This resonated with me and I will keep this book on hand for reference in the future.

The Bad Stuff: It’s a pretty short book and a lot of the information has been covered before.

Overall this book is put together from the authors most popular blog posts. In my opinion it is worth a read, you may not get new information from it, but you may look at things with a new found appreciation and understanding. This one gets an ink splattered 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review – The Grim Company by Luke Scull.

The Grim Company (The Grim Company, #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Grim Company by Luke Scull is a grimdark fantasy set in a world where the gods have been slain by wizards. We follow the stories of several characters who’s fates seem intertwined. Characters such as Davarus Cole, an orphan who wants to be a hero; Brodar Kayne and his companion Jerek, a pair Northmen on the run; Eremul, a paraplegic mage seeking revenge; Sasha a rebel with troubles of her own; and Yllandris a sorceress with ambitions.

The Cover: This is a simple cover showing a helm sitting on a white background that fades to a golden brown. The image itself represents the fantasy genre well, the fonts are clear and I like the title. All up a suitable cover for the genre.

The Good Stuff: This is a solid fantasy world that is dark, dangerous, and full of magic. The characters are well developed with their own goals and desires. The plot is sound and brings everything together at the end, yet still leaves enough story questions to make you want to read the next book in the series. Some of the characters reminded me of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy, but hey, who doesn’t love Joe and his characters.

The Bad Stuff: There are some over-packed sentences at the beginning of the book as the author tries to build the world. I found some characters focused on in the beginning of the book disappeared quite quickly, leaving me to wonder why they were highlighted in the first place. The character descriptions are also dropped in through small info dumps, which I think could have been written in more seamlessly. There was a point where soldiers in chainmail climb down a rope ladder while each holds a longsword in one hand leaving me wondering how that is even possible.

Overall, initially I had my doubts about this story, but the more I read, the more I got into it, and by the end I found I thoroughly enjoyed the book, even with the few points I mentioned in the bad stuff. I think this is because I am a little cautious when reading a new author and I tend to notice things in their writing, at least until I get drawn into the story. I would recommend this book to fans of dark fantasy/grimdark. It is getting a blood staining, bone breaking 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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